Accumulating pasture during Autumn to extend the grazing season in pasture‐based dairy systems

Abstract Aims Viable seeds in herbivore dung constitute the dung seed bank, and the contribution of livestock dung to this seed bank in grazing pastures is often overlooked. Grazing season (warm and cold), seed characteristics (size and shape), and forage preference are the main factors that affect the size and composition of the dung seed bank and ultimately affect grassland ecology. However, how these three factors interact is unclear. Methods We collected yak dung as well as seeds of the common plant species from warm- and cold-season alpine meadows in northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and explored how grazing season (warm and cold), seed characteristics (size and shape) and foraging preferences (temporary cages method) affects yak dung seedling density, richness and diversity in an alpine pasture. Results Forty-three plant species (mainly perennials) germinated from yak dung. Dung seedling density, richness, and diversity did not differ significantly between the two grazing seasons. Small to medium-sized spherical seeds (seed size < 10 mg, shape index < 0.5) had the greatest germination potential. Conclusions Yaks vary their forage preference depending on the season (phenological period), and endozoochory occurs throughout both grazing seasons. Seed shape and size directly regulate the dung seedling density, richness, and diversity. Dung seedlings increase the heterogeneity of the aboveground vegetation near the microsites of the dung pieces and therefore promote grassland patching. Our study demonstrates that grazing season, seed characteristics, and yak forage preferences affect the dung seed bank in grazing ecosystems.

Download Full-text

Effects of extending the grazing season in beef production systems

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1752756200004981 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 2001 ◽

pp. 116-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

B.J. O’Neill ◽

M.J. Drennan ◽

P.J. Caffrey

Keyword(s):

Production Systems ◽

Rural Environment ◽

Environment Protection ◽

Beef Production ◽

Grazing Season ◽

Protection Scheme ◽

Grass Silage ◽

Feed Costs ◽

The Cost ◽

Eu Support

The cost of grazed grass is less than half that of grass silage (O’Kiely, 1994) and incomes from beef production are low and largely dependent on EU support schemes. Thus the income from beef production could be incresed by reducing feed costs through increasing the proportion of grazed grass in the diet and optimising the use of the various support schemes. The objective of this two-year study was to examine the effects on the performance of yearling cattle of turnout to pasture three weeks earlier than normal. This was examined within two suckler beef production systems. One was a standard system similar to that outlined by Drennan (1993) and the second was compatible with the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS).

Download Full-text

The Carbon Footprint of Energy Consumption in Pastoral and Barn Dairy Farming Systems: A Case Study from Canterbury, New Zealand

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11174809 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (17) ◽

pp. 4809 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hafiz Muhammad Abrar Ilyas ◽

Majeed Safa ◽

Alison Bailey ◽

Sara Rauf ◽

Marvin Pangborn

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Dairy Farming ◽

Carbon Footprints ◽

Energy Inputs ◽

Study Results ◽

Feed Supplements ◽

Dairy Systems ◽

Milk Solids ◽

On Farm

Dairy farming is constantly evolving to more intensive systems of management, which involve more consumption of energy inputs. The consumption of these energy inputs in dairy farming contributes to climate change both with on-farm emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, and by off-farm emissions due to production of farm inputs (such as fertilizer, feed supplements). The main purpose of this research study was to evaluate energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, the carbon footprint, of pastoral and barn dairy systems located in Canterbury, New Zealand. The carbon footprints were estimated based on direct and indirect energy sources. The study results showed that, on average, the carbon footprints of pastoral and barn dairy systems were 2857 kgCO2 ha−1 and 3379 kgCO2 ha−1, respectively. For the production of one tonne of milk solids, the carbon footprint was 1920 kgCO2 tMS−1 and 2129 kgCO2 tMS−1, respectively. The carbon emission difference between the two systems indicates that the barn system has 18% and 11% higher carbon footprint than the pastoral system, both per hectare of farm area and per tonne of milk solids, respectively. The greater carbon footprint of the barn system was due to more use of imported feed supplements, machinery usage and fossil fuel (diesel and petrol) consumption for on-farm activities.

Download Full-text

Modification of the summative equation to estimate daily total digestible nutrients for bermudagrass pasture

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa354 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (11) ◽

Author(s):

Prem Woli ◽

Francis M Rouquette ◽

Charles R Long ◽

Luis O Tedeschi ◽

Guillermo Scaglia

Keyword(s):

Nutritive Value ◽

Cynodon Dactylon ◽

Perennial Grass ◽

Warm Season ◽

Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽

Systematic Bias ◽

Grazing Season ◽

Nutritive Values ◽

Plant Maturity ◽

Daily Total

Abstract In forage-animal nutrition modeling, diet energy is estimated mainly from the forage total digestible nutrients (TDN). As digestibility trials are expensive, TDN is usually estimated using summative equations. Early summative equations assumed a fixed coefficient to compute digestible fiber using the lignin-to-neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ratio. Subsequently, a structural coefficient (φ) was added to the summative equations to reflect an association between lignin and cell wall components. Additional modifications to the summative equations assumed a constant φ value, and they have been used as a standard method by many commercial laboratories and scientists. For feeds with nutritive values that do not change much over time, a constant φ value may suffice. However, for forages with nutritive values that keep changing during the grazing season owing to changes in weather and plant maturity, a constant φ value may add a systematic bias to prediction because it is associated with the variable lignin-to-NDF ratio. In this study, we developed a model to estimate φ as a function of the day of the year by using the daily TDN values of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], a popular warm-season perennial grass in the southern United States. The variable φ model was evaluated by using it in the TDN equation and comparing the estimated values with the observed ones obtained from several locations. Values of the various measures of fit used—the Willmott index (WI), the modeling efficiency (ME), R2, root mean square error (RMSE), and percent error (PE)—showed that using the variable φ vis-à-vis the constant φ improved the TDN equation significantly. The WI, ME, R2, RMSE, and PE values of 0.94, 0.80, 0.80, 2.5, and 4.7, respectively, indicated that the TDN equation with the variable φ model was able to mimic the observed values of TDN satisfactorily. Unlike the constant φ, the variable φ predicted more closely the forage nutritive value throughout the grazing season. The variable φ model may be useful to forage-beef modeling in accurately reflecting the impacts of plant maturity and weather on daily forage nutritive value and animal performance.

Download Full-text

The impact of increasing the length of the cattle grazing season on emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide and on nitrate leaching in England and Wales

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2004.02.003 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 105 (1-2) ◽

pp. 307-321 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

J. Webb ◽

S.G. Anthony ◽

L. Brown ◽

H. Lyons-Visser ◽

C. Ross ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Nitrate Leaching ◽

Cattle Grazing ◽

England And Wales ◽

Grazing Season ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Dairy Heifers Naturally Exposed toFasciola hepaticaDevelop a Type 2 Immune Response and Concomitant Suppression of Leukocyte Proliferation

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.00607-17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 86 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

John Graham-Brown ◽

Catherine Hartley ◽

Helen Clough ◽

Aras Kadioglu ◽

Matthew Baylis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Immune Responses ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Serum Antibody ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Content Type ◽

Grazing Season ◽

Type 2 Immune Response

ABSTRACTFasciola hepaticais a parasitic trematode of global importance in livestock. Control strategies reliant on anthelmintics are unsustainable due to the emergence of drug resistance. Vaccines are under development, but efficacies are variable. Evidence from experimental infection suggests that vaccine efficacy may be affected by parasite-induced immunomodulation. Little is known about the immune response toF. hepaticafollowing natural exposure. Hence, we analyzed the immune responses over time in calves naturally exposed toF. hepaticainfection. Cohorts of replacement dairy heifer calves (n= 42) with no prior exposure toF. hepatica, on three commercial dairy farms, were sampled over the course of a grazing season. Exposure was determined through anF. hepatica-specific serum antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and fluke egg counts. Concurrent changes in peripheral blood leukocyte subpopulations, lymphocyte proliferation, and cytokine responses were measured. Relationships between fluke infection and immune responses were analyzed by using multivariable linear mixed-effect models. All calves from one farm showed evidence of exposure, while cohorts from the remaining two farms remained negative over the grazing season. A type 2 immune response was associated with exposure, with increased interleukin-4 (IL-4) production, IL-5 transcription, and eosinophilia. Suppression of parasite-specific peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation was evident, while decreased mitogen-stimulated gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production suggested immunomodulation, which was not restricted to parasite-specific responses. Our findings show that the global immune response is modulated toward a nonproliferative type 2 state following natural challenge withF. hepatica. This has implications in terms of the timing of the administration of vaccination programs and for host susceptibility to coinfecting pathogens.

Download Full-text

Potential of warm-season annual forages and Brassica crops for grazing: A Canadian Review

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/cjas09002 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 89 (4) ◽

pp. 431-440 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

D McCartney ◽

J Fraser ◽

A Ohama

Keyword(s):

Foxtail Millet ◽

Warm Season ◽

Yield Potential ◽

High Yield ◽

Hordeum Vulgare L ◽

Grazing Season ◽

Brassica Crops ◽

Fodder Crops ◽

Secale Cereale L ◽

The Cost

Extension of the grazing season beyond the normal perennial grazing season has been identified as a potential mechanism to reduce the cost of production on Canadian cow-calf operations. This review will provide an overview of the potential use of warm-season and Brassica crops including corn (Zea mays), Golden German foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. Beauv.), kale (Brassica oleracea L.), forage rape (B. napus ssp. biennis L.) and turnip (B. rapa L.). These crops have a high yield potential, but the cost for grazing these crops has not been adequately compared with the cost of grazing oat (Avena sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and fall rye (Secale cereale L.). There are very few actual animal grazing trials evaluating the economics of using these crops in grazing systems in Canada, and this requires further research.Key words: Corn, millet, sorgum, sudan grass, fodder crops, brassicas

Download Full-text

Increasing home-grown forage consumption and profit in non-irrigated dairy systems. 1. Rationale, systems design and management

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an12295 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

pp. 221 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

D. F. Chapman ◽

J. Hill ◽

J. Tharmaraj ◽

D. Beca ◽

S. N. Kenny ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Milk Production ◽

Perennial Ryegrass ◽

Systems Design ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Early Summer ◽

Annual Rainfall ◽

Forage Production ◽

Winter Cereal ◽

Dairy Systems ◽

Milk Solids

The profitability of dairy businesses in southern Australia is closely related to the amount of feed consumed from perennial ryegrass-dominant pasture. Historically, the dairy industry has relied on improvements in pasture productivity and utilisation to support profitable increases in stocking rate and milk production per hectare. However, doubts surround the extent to which the industry can continue to rely on perennial ryegrass technology to provide the necessary productivity improvements required into the future. This paper describes the design and management of a dairy systems experiment at Terang in south-west Victoria (780-mm average annual rainfall) conducted over four lactations (June 2005–March 2009) to compare the production and profitability of two forage base options for non-irrigated dairy farms. These options were represented by two self-contained farmlets each milking 36 mixed-age, autumn-calving Holstein-Friesian cows at peak: (1) well managed perennial ryegrass pasture (‘Ryegrass Max’, or ‘RM’); and (2) perennial ryegrass plus complementary forages (‘CF’) including 15% of farmlet area under double cropping with annual species (winter cereal grown for silage followed by summer brassica for grazing on the same land) and an average of 25% of farmlet area in perennial pasture based on tall fescue for improved late spring–early summer feed supply. The design of these systems was informed by farming systems models (DairyMod, UDDER and Redsky), which were used to estimate the effects of introducing different forage options on farm profitability. The design of the CF system was selected based on modelled profitability increases assuming that all forage components could be managed to optimise forage production and be effectively integrated to optimise milk production per cow. Using the historical ‘average’ pasture growth curve for the Terang district and a mean milk price of $3.71 per kg milk solids, the models estimated that the return on assets of the RM and CF systems would be 9.4 and 15.0%, respectively. The objectives of the experiment described here were to test whether or not such differences in profitability could be achieved in practice, and to determine the risks associated with including complementary forages on a substantial proportion of the effective farm area. Key results of the experiment are presented in subsequent papers.

Download Full-text